Capelle On Golf

I had planned to watch the fourth round of the Verizon Heritage because Harbour Town Golf Links offers such stunning scenery and a refreshing change from Bomb & Gouge golf. However, when I saw Boo Weekley had a four stroke lead on the front nine, I tuned out. Actually I never tuned in. Boo doesn’t support his sport, so I’ll be darned if I was going to watch this ingrate pad his bank account on his way to an early retirement.

I’m not going to watch him play, but I am going to keep track of his career earnings. Right now he’s at $4,477,402, most of it won over the last 14 months. According to Boo, “I’m going to make my $8 million and get out of here. That’s all I care about.” When asked what he will do next, he replied, “Go fishing.” At the rate he’s going, he could be “out of here” before the end of next season, his retirement secured by age 36.

I hope so. I can’t wait for the day when golf’s leading check casher, a player with enough talent to be ranked #23 in the world, but with zero ambition, goes home so he can do what he does best – sit on the banks of a river with a fishing pole.

And when Boo gets bored in retirement, do you think he’ll relax with a brewski and watch champions like Woods, Mickelson and Company in their quest to make golf history? Not a chance. “I don’t watch golf,” he said. “I’d much rather watch fishing or hunting or NASCAR or something. It’s got to be moving, man. Golf ain’t moving.”

Let’s face it. Boo is an outsider, a tobacco chewing red neck who’s using golf to meet his financial objectives. And yet, amazingly enough, some fans go for his cornpone humor that’s better suited to the Beverly Hillbillies.

It’s too bad someone who cares about the game couldn’t have been blessed with his talent. And it’s also a shame that this check casher won instead of Aaron Baddeley or Anthony Kim (who both tied for second). These young lions could have benefitted from a confidence building victory when they face Tiger Woods down the road.

Weekley on Sunday afternoons belongs at those huge ovals with a backwards baseball cap and a huge mug of beer watching noisy cars go in circles, not on the hallowed fairways of a tradition stepped game like golf.